What is culturally based restoration?

LEP honors the diverse knowledge and experiences of community members. Communities identify their own shared stewardship vision, and Earth Partnership staff then share resources that can help the community achieve their goals.

One culturally based restoration effort widely used by LEP educators throughout Madison and Milwaukee emphasizes the monarch butterfly. Educators draw connections between the monarch’s migration and human immigration stories, allowing learners to draw on their families’ experiences to understand, address, and teach others about the challenges facing this amazing insect. Learning the ecological and cultural significance of the butterfly inspires communities to help protect it. In Mexican culture, for example, the monarchs embody the souls of departed children returning each year to the coniferous forest of eastern Michoacán and western México states from Canada and the United States. Planting monarch-friendly habitat at a school or community center and reporting citizen science data often culminates the inclusive learning process. Students find strength in cultural heritage and are motivated to be environmental stewards.